David Moyes and Richard Keys think an Everton return is on the cards with Sean Dyche under pressure, it is increasingly clear to see.
The Toffees finally recorded a Premier League point this season with the 1-1 draw at Leicester City, but the manager remains in the spotlight after throwing away yet another lead having substituted star man Iliman Ndiaye.
How secure Dyche remains at Goodison Park is up for debate, with the club publicly briefing that they intend for him to see out the season at least [Telegraph, 13 September], even if there are doubts the interim board is in a position to move on his contract either way.
But TBR Football reported on 13 September the former Burnley boss has sparked concerns among the hierarchy, as well as with prospective owner John Textor, and if improvements aren’t evident by the next international break a change could be made.
Moyes is said to be one name who will be considered if that happens, while former Brighton and Chelsea boss Graham Potter is also liked [TBR Football, 5 September].
Graham Potter also liked as Everton replacement
Whether Farhad Moshiri can or will make a change right now, with the Textor takeover seemingly moving forward [i News, 17 September], is questionable, especially when it is believed to put the club on the hook to pay the outgoing boss a year past his scheduled contract expiry if he’s sacked before the summer [The Esk, 15 September].
And whether a managerial change is the right option at this stage could be disputed when Dyche has kept the club up twice already.
But it seems obvious that Moyes is putting himself in position for if it does happen, and Keys is helping him make a pitch for the job.
The former Sky Sports anchor named the Scot, who is available since leaving West Ham in the summer, as a potential replacement for Dyche on his blog on 26 August, talking up how “his heart lies at Goodison”.
And the nostalgic campaign for the hearts and minds of Evertonians was on display again on beIN Sports’ Soccer Sunday (22 September), with Moyes present in the studio flanked by a pair of supportive fellow ex-Toffees in Andy Gray and Tim Cahill.
Keys set up Moyes to discuss his Everton credentials, saying: “You tapped into the DNA of the club very quickly didn’t you? You understood what Everton meant.”
“I think I was brought up that way,” he replied. “I think I was brought up with the DNA of what Everton meant as well. I called it ‘The People’s Club’. People will think that was a genius thing that was said, it was just a feeling where I thought, ‘This is a club that people support, that lots of people supported’.”
After discussing some of his management style over the likes of Cahill Moyes was set back on track as Keys cut in: “Just briefly, you felt as you drove to the game for that first press conference something about Everton that you knew you would tap into.”
David Moyes left Everton for Manchester United in 2013
The former Real Sociedad and Sunderland manager said driving through Liverpool and seeing what shirts kids were wearing he thought: “This city must be full of Everton supporters”.
“It still is,” laughed Andy Gray before Keys joked, “London’s full of Liverpool fans! I didn’t say that, no”.
It will be impossible for Toffees fans who are old enough not to reminisce of the Moyes-era Everton when faced with the near-constant turmoil at Goodison in recent seasons, and it could hardly be clearer that the newly-unemployed manager, with the help of Keys, is looking to tap into that.
Leaving aside the fact that he bolted to Manchester United when summoned by Sir Alex Ferguson, and was let go by the Hammers this summer amid some very similar complaints from fans as are currently being directed at Dyche, Moyes certainly looks like he wants back in.
It hardly seems coincidental that it was just days ago that he did an interview with the Liverpool Echo’s Chris Beesley (19 September) covering similar subjects, so whether Moyes is the answer or not to the current predicament he is making clear he wants the chance to find out.
